GOSHEN -- OK, country clubs around the state, you have your blueprint. The Torrington Country Club demonstrated how to run a golf tournament.

When the 79th Connecticut Open tournament wrapped up Wednesday, the one word that came to mind was: wow.

The hospitality and attention to detail from the host members was off-the-chart amazing. It helped, too, that the golf was terrific.

The tourney had a golfer, Jeff Curl, collapse on the final two holes. He made bogey and double-bogey, and fell back into a four-way playoff. The the tourney ended when a golfer, Jeff Curl, sank a dazzling 35-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole for victory.

No one could expect that a golfer would, on the final day, make triple-bogey on one hole, drop three shots to par on the two final holes and still win. Even Curl was stunned, so stunned that he offered to buy a drink for every tourna-

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ment volunteer.

That would be one massive tab because the Torrington Country Club rattled every tree on its luscious grounds to shake out a small army of volunteers.

When the tournament was over, club president Mike Nejaime told a large crowd at the trophy presentation that the golf lasted for three days, but "it took three years to plan."

It showed. The three days were flawless. It is an example for every Open to come. The CSGA did its typically efficient job running the Open from tee to green. The club made it a blast for players and spectators.

Torrington had an advantage over many clubs because of its plentiful presentation space around the clubhouse. Every inch of that ground was used to full advantage, for both tournament and spectator amenities.

One of the best tournament hangouts was the 12th green and 13th tee. You planted your chair and watched great golf, inhaled clean, country air, and dined on pizza slices, hot dogs or delicacies from the Jake's Wayback Burgers mobile trailer.

An elegant touch was a wandering oenologist who dispensed wine samples to the gallery. No, I didn't have a taste.

Action Wildlife, which sits across the road from the country club grounds, inspired this actual Twitter message during the tournament: "Went to watch Marc at the #CTOpen and got to see a zebra too!"

Going out on a limb here, but that may be the first time that the words "Connecticut Open" and "zebra" were mentioned in the same sentence.

If this has been at other tournaments, I missed it, but it was a great addition in Torrington: There was a medical tent staffed by Campion Ambulance Service with an ambulance at the ready. When one player suffered heart issues, the Open was ready.

The club took ownership of the event. Torrington's own golf legend, Dick Weigold, whose influence brought the Open here, was like a proud papa. He oversaw every detail, every day.

Even the mayor, Ryan Bingham, was a hole volunteer.

The CSGA guided the Open from start to finish, but the Torrington Country Club, the course and the members were the show.

The club and the CSGA provided a great work space for the media: They put us in the bridal suite. I'm not sure what that says about us, but they treated us like kings. I won't even bring up the espresso.

Rolling Hills Country Club in Wilton staged a sensational State Amateur in 2012. In 2014, Rolling Hills hosts the Connecticut Open. No doubt the club will do a terrific job, but let's see if it can pull a zebra out of its hat.

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